December 16 - 31, 2018
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
LOCAL NEWS
BCTF welcomes more time to consult on
education funding model
In response to the government
releasing the report on the education
funding review, Glen Hansman said
more work needs to be done—so it is
good to see the government taking a
slower approach and not implement-
ing any decisions right away.
“I am thankful to the Minister for
outlining the next phase that allows
for more consultation and collabora-
tion,” said Hansman. “The entire ed-
ucation community needs to have an
informed conversation about these
recommendations, and I welcome the
opportunity to do so over the coming
year. I hope that the process will lead
to changes that enhance both servic-
es to students and teachers’ working
conditions—regardless of where they
live and work in our province.”
In addition, Hansman said the fo-
cus now needs to be on negotiating
a new collective agreement for BC
teachers by June 30, 2019, when the
existing agreement expires.
“Since the Supreme Court of
Canada restored teachers’ collective
agreement language around staff-
ing minimums, class sizes, and sup-
port levels for students with special
needs, BC has seen real improve-
ments in learning and working con-
ditions,” said Hansman. “What the
last year and a half has confirmed is
that collective agreement language
for teachers improves teacher-stu-
dent ratios, reduces class sizes, and
improves support levels for students
with special needs.”
“Our restored collective agree- ment language has led to the hiring
of more than 3,700 new teachers
who provide direct supports to stu-
dents. When you look at those num-
bers, it’s easy to see how the former
BC Liberal government’s approach
to contract stripping and conces-
sions harmed BC’s education system
and short-changed an entire genera-
tion of students.”
Hansman also explained that sig-
nificant gaps in services for all stu-
dents remain because many school
districts do not actually have collec-
tive agreement for language staffing
minimums or class-composition,
and because of ongoing funding
challenges.
“Despite the improvements since
the teachers’ court win, some stu-
dents and their teachers are still wait-
ing to see a positive change,” Hans-
man said. “This is because in some
school districts class-size language
never existed from grades 4 through
12; and, in many school districts,
class-composition language never
existed. This has led to equity issues
that need to be addressed.”
“To address these inequities
across the province, BC needs to
expand the protections for work-
ing and learning conditions, not re-
move them as some school districts
seemed to suggest in the funding
model review. Removing or reducing
recently restored protections for class
sizes, class-composition, and staffing
ratios would be a step backwards for
Nathan Cullen, NDP Electoral
Reform Critic, made the following
statement:
“The NDP government in
British Columbia said they would
hold a referendum on electoral
reform because they wanted to
make sure it was people who were
going to make this decision. They
lived up to their promise.
Almost two years have passed
since Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau broke his promise to
make the 2015 federal election
the last election held under first-
past-the-post. Canadians in British
Columbia were given the choice
that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
did not give them.
During the last election, which
was supposed to be the last held
under first past the post, two-
thirds of Canadians voted for a
party that was promising electoral
reform. This was a clear promise
in the Liberal platform, and Justin Trudeau repeated it hundreds of
times. The choice to abandon
electoral reform was one of the
most cynical decisions made by
this Prime Minister. But today the
people in British Columbia were
given that choice, and we respect
the result.
But it doesn’t end here,
in Québec, all the opposition
parties endorsed proportional
representation in the lead up to
their last provincial election and
the government has promised to
table a bill to this effect within the
first year of its mandate. And in
PEI, a referendum on the voting
system is expected during their
next provincial election. With the
work of these provinces, we can
hope that the rest will be inspired,
and the next time Canadians vote
federally for electoral reform, it
becomes a reality.” (NDP website)
students and teachers.”
“The government’s priority should
be ensuring similar protections are
available in all 60 school districts and
by providing appropriate funding so
that supports are in place for all stu-
dents, especially those with special
needs. Every student can learn, and
every student is entitled to an ap-
propriate and full range of education
services in their community—in all
regions of British Columbia.”
Hansman concluded by saying
NDP Statement on Electoral
Reform in British Columbia
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
the ongoing consultations around the
funding model should not delay ac-
tion on addressing the teacher short-
age and other issues like the need to
adequately fund the government’s
new curriculum. He also welcomed
the government’s commitment to
take a closer look at how Distributed
Learning programs are funded and
structured, and how Adult Education
programs can be better supported
and expanded in BC school districts.
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